# traveling abroad



## gunnersguru (Sep 10, 2016)

I will be traveling to Belgium soon and looking for first hand accounts of bringing back cigars to the US . does anyone know the laws or rules about bring backs.


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## avitti (Jun 4, 2011)

gunnersguru said:


> I will be traveling to Belgium soon and looking for first hand accounts of bringing back cigars to the US . does anyone know the laws or rules about bring backs.


You can bring back 100 cigars / 800 dollars of cigars


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## Bird-Dog (Oct 16, 2009)

IIRC, personal limit for duty-free entry is 100 cigars with the value not to exceed $800. Cubans are okay to bring in with you when returning from anywhere overseas now (still not legal commercially in the USA or to have shipped in).

Edit: Trust @avitti. Not only does he know what he's talking about, but he also types faster than I do.:grin2:


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

gunnersguru said:


> I will be traveling to Belgium soon and looking for first hand accounts of bringing back cigars to the US . does anyone know the laws or rules about bring backs.


The New Rules on Cuban Cigars | Weekly Tip


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## bpegler (Mar 30, 2006)

Customs doesn't even ask about cigars anymore upon return to the US.


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## gunnersguru (Sep 10, 2016)

bpegler said:


> Customs doesn't even ask about cigars anymore upon return to the US.


 do you know this firsthand. I would hate to trash some .


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## bozoo (Sep 26, 2016)

I was asked about bringing in any gars while admitting the US last fall. Was strange to me as it never happened before. I had only 3 cc's I got duty free so I told that to the officer and he didn't mind. Having said that, I would strongly recommend to obey the limit.


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## bpegler (Mar 30, 2006)

gunnersguru said:


> do you know this firsthand. I would hate to trash some .


I've arrived twice through Atlanta returning from overseas in the past few months. They have a global entry program, you take your picture at one of many kiosks, with your passport inserted. No questions asked about cigars. Then you take the paper it generates, stand in line, and hand it to a customs agent. He asks how your trip was, stamps the paper, and says "welcome back".

Easy as pie.


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## Bird-Dog (Oct 16, 2009)

bpegler said:


> I've arrived twice through Atlanta returning from overseas in the past few months. They have a global entry program, you take your picture at one of many kiosks, with your passport inserted. No questions asked about cigars. Then you take the paper it generates, stand in line, and hand it to a customs agent. He asks how your trip was, stamps the paper, and says "welcome back".
> 
> Easy as pie.


Same here. But, I'm pretty sure there can be additional hoops to jump through depending on how you answer the basics, how skeevy you look, or how nervous you seem. :grin2:


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## UBC03 (Nov 18, 2015)

curmudgeonista said:


> Same here. But, I'm pretty sure there can be additional hoops to jump through depending on how you answer the basics, how skeevy you look, or how nervous you seem. :grin2:


So you're sayin I should never fly..thanks alot

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## Bird-Dog (Oct 16, 2009)

UBC03 said:


> So you're sayin I should never fly..thanks alot


Chickenshit!


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## UBC03 (Nov 18, 2015)

You know me so well..

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## Bird-Dog (Oct 16, 2009)

UBC03 said:


> You know me so well..


Yeah, like anyone would think it takes balls to climb around on sky-high steel beams or wrestle with nuclear reactors. Jeez! :vs_laugh:


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## UBC03 (Nov 18, 2015)

I tell the new guys that money helps you overcome alot of fears..lol

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## Cigary (Oct 19, 2007)

Here's what I've done for 10 years....take a tupperador that can hold as many cigars that you want to hold ( I bring one that will hold 200 cigars ) and then I bring my own bands and slip them onto the CC's with my own code....example: CoRos.....CR1.....then I keep the original bands and put those in a sock in my checked bag in a sock. They always get through because I put the cigars in my carryon and unless TSA can differentiate cigars I've never been questioned.


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## Bird-Dog (Oct 16, 2009)

Cigary said:


> Here's what I've done for 10 years....take a tupperador that can hold as many cigars that you want to hold ( I bring one that will hold 200 cigars ) and then I bring my own bands and slip them onto the CC's with my own code....example: CoRos.....CR1.....then I keep the original bands and put those in a sock in my checked bag in a sock. They always get through because I put the cigars in my carryon and unless TSA can differentiate cigars I've never been questioned.


Times change Gary. It's now legal to bring Cubans back with you from anywhere in the world for personal consumption. No need to mess with the bands.

Note: It's still illegal to have CC's shipped from overseas, and illegal to sell them in the US even if brought in legally.


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

gunnersguru said:


> do you know this firsthand. I would hate to trash some .


If Bob posted it you can bet on it.


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## Cigary (Oct 19, 2007)

curmudgeonista said:


> Times change Gary. It's now legal to bring Cubans back with you from anywhere in the world for personal consumption. No need to mess with the bands.
> 
> Note: It's still illegal to have CC's shipped from overseas, and illegal to sell them in the US even if brought in legally.


As many as you can? If so no need for Viagra!


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## gunnersguru (Sep 10, 2016)

well I am skeevy and a bit nervous looking. thanks for all postings . I am traveling with a group so if I were to over buy I could divvy them out some. I could see breaking the 100 limit but not the 800 clams.


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## Bird-Dog (Oct 16, 2009)

gunnersguru said:


> well I am skeevy and a bit nervous looking. thanks for all postings . I am traveling with a group so if I were to over buy I could divvy them out some. I could see breaking the 100 limit but not the 800 clams.


Unless you're talking about bringing back little dry-cured Dutch cigars, the math is not in your favor. If you are buying premium cigars in Europe, the chances are greater of breaking the dollar limit long before passing 100.

BTW, the "skeevy/nervous" comment is because Customs agents are looking for potential drug smugglers, not a handful of cigars. Their job is spotting people who have something to hide. The worst that's gonna' happen with cigars is having to pay duty. So why worry? The guy & gals in uniform probably get a good laugh in the break-room about folks who can't contain themselves and act like real criminals when trying sneak an extra bottle of booze or a Rolex through duty free when they really don't give a fig about it.


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## gunnersguru (Sep 10, 2016)

I will soon be off on the Belgium trip , hoping to find some great smokes at La Casa Del Habano . I will be taking 3 sticks and a throw away cutter with me and pick up a bic when I get there.


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## Fusion (Apr 5, 2017)

There are no restrictions, count or dollar wise on Cuban Cigars brought back into the US for personal use, as to the 100 cigar/$800 dollar limits, that is for customs purposes and applies to all cigars.

Example, you bring in $1000 dollar worth of CC's, as long as you declare them you will be allowed $800 duty free and have to pay duty on the extra $200 worth. Excess amounts are subject to a 4 percent flat rate of duty.
If however you bring in the same $1000 worth and do not declare it and get caught, your liable to get the whole lot confiscated and a possible fine.


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## bpegler (Mar 30, 2006)

I just got back into the US on Saturday evening. Went through ATL customs. Besides the long lines, there were absolutely no problems.

The check in is electronic. It asks you a few questions about bringing in agricultural items, etc. Nothing about cigars. Your passport is scanned, and your picture is taken. You get a piece of paper.

Stand in line again, hand over the paper to a customs agent. He asks how your trip was. Smiles and says "welcome back".

Walk a ways, get your luggage, walk past a security guard, and that's it.

There was no question, either in writing or from the customs agent about cigars.

Really, weapons, drugs, and agricultural products are all that they seemed concerned about.


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## gunnersguru (Sep 10, 2016)

pics of bands after my travels, 2x 2007 Cohiba #5 , and an A.F. angels share , and the Bolivar were the standouts.


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## PhilB (Apr 29, 2017)

A quick clarification question for us Canucks:

Can we bring in some Cuban cigars for personal consumption? I'll be most likely going into the US in a few weeks, and will bring back lots of non-Cubans (since I'll be buying/shipping from the US while I'm there) to Canada to take advantage of the much better price and duty-free limits for myself, but can I bring a few Cubans with me to the US to smoke while I'm there, or should I stick to non-Cubans?

This (from the link above) seems to answer that, just making sure:



> *I'm a foreign traveler who lives outside of the U.S.-what about when I travel to the U.S.? Does this affect how I can travel with my cigars?*
> 
> Yes, the new laws do affect foreign travelers. Previously, foreign passengers were prohibited from bringing Cuban-origin tobacco or alcohol into the U.S. The new rules, however, have removed this restriction. You can come to the U.S. with Cuban cigars (and rum) if you're a foreign passenger, so long as the goods are not in "commercial quantities" and not for resale.


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## bpegler (Mar 30, 2006)

PhilB said:


> A quick clarification question for us Canucks:
> 
> Can we bring in some Cuban cigars for personal consumption? I'll be most likely going into the US in a few weeks, and will bring back lots of non-Cubans (since I'll be buying/shipping from the US while I'm there) to Canada to take advantage of the much better price and duty-free limits for myself, but can I bring a few Cubans with me to the US to smoke while I'm there, or should I stick to non-Cubans?
> 
> This (from the link above) seems to answer that, just making sure:


You can bring Cuban cigars into the US now. But depending on how many cigars you purchase here, whatever you don't smoke you probably will have to declare going back to Canada.

Hope that you enjoy your stay!


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